The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-31
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Historical and Statistical Facts Relating TO
Chicago's Marvellous Growth.


Chicago's Marvellous Growth.
.'Born, at Vandalia, H., Saturday,
March 4, 1887, the City of Chicago"
Historic words are these. The birth of
a city but half a century ago, having at
the time of incorporation but 1000 in
habitants. This year that babe records
her fftieth anniversary as city with
population of 100000 people. Enter
prise and thrift were her parents, nat
ural resources her succor, and she was
clothed by the indomitable will and
perseverance of honest hearts, strong
hands, and clear heads, and situation
unsurpassed. What history is this.
A city born out of swamp lands and
odorous wild-onion beds. Grown to be
mighty metropolis in thirty-four short
years, destroyed almost in a day by
demon of fire, and within period of
another sixteen years entirely rebuilt
with a grandeur and stability almost
beyond the comprehension of those not
familiar with the city's history.
August 10, 1888, the young village Of
Chicago was incorporated as town.
The event was talked of with pride by
the few hardy settlers living in the
vicinity, for then the willy savage built
his wigwam unmolested within
stones throw of every inhabitable
building in the fort, and the adventur-
GUS settler, amid continued haraships,
cultivated small portion of the fertile
prairies far away from the everyday
comforts of civilization, and tilling a
soil which he called his own only by
virtue of a ''squatter's claim The
county of Cook, named in honor of the
Hon. Daniel P. Cook, had been por-
toned off from Peoria county but two
years before-in 1831-when the village
of Chicago was incorporated into a
town by an almost unanimous vote. IL
voting in favor and 1 against the
change. The following year-1834-the
poll-list had but Ill names registered as
voting, and the total tax receipts
amounting to but $48. 80, a sum INSULT
cient to meet current expenditures and
necessitating loan of $50 for street
improvements. Gradually the tide of
emigration drifted westward, and many
stopped at that point, coming by boat
or horseback around the lake by way
of Detroit and along the lake shore.
New buildings sprang up like mush-
rooms to accommodate the newcomers,
and by 1886 luxuries as well as the
| necessities of life were among the inn
ports of the merchants doing busi-
ness here. The uncertainty of title
| to lands vested in the Government by
| the Indians caused urgent appeals to
be made for relief, and in July, 1886,
the first sale of canal lands was held
here and the titles given by the canal
trustees to purchasers.
From this time an unhealthy period
of speculation began; values were very
unsteady and varied greatly from week
to week, resulting in financial crash
the following year. A branch of the
Second State Bank, the first to do a
general banking business, was located
here in 1886, and went down with the
rest in the eventful year of '37. On
November IS. 1886, the board of trus-
tees for the .'town'' of Chicago held a
meeting and ordered ''that the presi-
dent invite the citizens of each of the
three districts (north, south and west)
of the town to meet in their respective
districts and select three suitable per.
sons to meet with the board of trustees
on Thursday evening next and consult
together with them on the expediency
of applying to the Legislature of the
State for city charter and adopting
draft to accompany such application
All the provisions of a city were
finally agreed upon and the board Of
town trustees sent messenger by
the stage-coach with it to Vandalia,
about seventy-fve miles below Spring
field, where the Legislature was in ses
sion. The act of the incorporation Of
the city was approved March 4, 1887.
/ The first census taken after the incor
poration was July 1, 1887, and showed &
total population of 4,179, divided as fol
lows: